Some agricultural work vehicles, such as tractors, sprayers, harvesters, and/or the like, use hydrostatic transmissions to transmit power from the engines to the wheels. In certain configurations, a hydrostatic transmission includes a hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic motor coupled to one wheel, and a second hydraulic motor coupled to another wheel. In this regard, the pump is driven by the engine, thereby generating a pressurized fluid flow within the transmission. A portion of the pressurized fluid flow is delivered to each motor, thereby driving the associated wheel.
As an agricultural work vehicle is moved across a field, the wheel coupled to one of the first or second hydraulic motors may fall into a divot or depression in the ground. In such instances, the wheel coupled to the other of the first or second hydraulic motors may be lifted off of the ground, thereby reducing the load on the associated motor. Since fluid flows along the path of least resistance, the portion of the pressurized fluid flow delivered to the motor associated with the lifted wheel increases, while the portion of the pressurized fluid flow delivered to the motor associated with the wheel in the divot decreases. As such, the decreased volume of fluid received by such motor may reduce its torsional output such that the associated wheel becomes stuck in the divot.
Accordingly, an improved system for controlling the torsional output of a hydrostatic transmission of a work vehicle would be welcomed in the technology.